Tied with the Skil as the second-least-expensive saw in the roundup, the Hitachi CR13V is a hefty saw that packs a punch. Although it features triple-sealed construction that’s dust- and water-resistant, it lacks selectable blade orbit, and the 10-amp motor’s chunky profile makes the tool look a bit like a pregnant guppy.

The foot adjustment on Hitachi's reciprocating saw is huge, up to 1-1/2", allowing users to make the most of the long, 7" bi-metal blade.

The CR13V’s blade clamp is easy to operate — press down on a small rubberized tab to release the blade lock — but it’s hard to reach the tab when the blade is fully retracted. Its foot adjusts over a huge span of 1-1⁄2" with an included Allen wrench, allowing you to get full use from the teeth of the provided 7"-long bi-metal, progressive tooth blade.

Although the Hitachi lists “electronic feedback power control” to keep the RPMs up during heavy cutting, the CR13V turned in a middle-of-the-pack performance, requiring 17.75 seconds to crosscut the 2x8s in my test. But the real deal breaker for me was Hitachi’s bone-jarring vibration, making it the saw I least liked to use.